Here are the keywords and skills that appear most frequently on recent Human Resources Specialist job postings. In other words, these are the most sought after skills by recruiters and hiring managers. Go to Sample Templates ↓ below to see how to include them on your resume.
Remember that every job is different. Instead of including all keywords on your resume, identify those that are most relevant to the job you're applying to. Use the free Targeted Resume tool to help with this.
Does your resume contain all the right skills? Paste in your resume in the AI Resume Scan ↓ section below and get an instant score.
Paste your resume below and our AI will identify which keywords are missing from your resume from the list above (and what you need to include). Including the right keywords will help you get past Applicant Tracking Systems (i.e. resume screeners) which may scan your resume for keywords to see if you're a match for the job.
Go through the Human Resources Specialist posting you're applying to, and identify hard skills the company is looking for. For example, skills like Employee Relations, Human Resources (HR) and Onboarding are possible skills. These are skills you should try to include on your resume.
The following word cloud highlights the most popular keywords that appear on Human Resources Specialist job descriptions. The bigger the word, the more frequently it shows up on employer's job postings. If you have experience with these keywords, include them on your resume.
Here are common soft skills that appear on Human Resources Specialist job postings. Unlike hard skills, which refer to tools, software or techniques, soft skills focus on character traits and interpersonal skills. Instead of listing these phrases on your resume, try to show them through your bullet points like in the examples below.
Tip: Do not list these words or phrases on your resume, and instead focus on the hard skills we described above.
Here are examples of proven resumes in related jobs and industries, approved by experienced hiring managers. Use them as inspiration when you're writing your own resume. You can even download and edit the resume template in Google Docs.
Human resources manager jobs are usually senior roles that come with added responsibilities. As a human resources manager, you’ll likely oversee the interviewing and hiring of new employees, and you’ll also have a hand in planning and carrying out administrative functions at the company. A resume like this one will showcase your years of experience in human resources. You can use your bullet points to illustrate your stellar interpersonal, organizational, and management skills.
If you’re seeking a human resources manager job, your work history and accomplishments should be front and center on your resume, as shown in this example. When discussing your previous human resources roles, make sure to give examples of how you managed others, created new policies, devised strategies, and led new initiatives that positively impacted the companies you worked for.
To land a senior-level role, you need to show leadership and initiative. As a human resources manager, you’ll train, coach, mentor, and guide others, so you need to be a strong leader. Pointing out promotions at past jobs shows that you are a leader as well as an exemplary employee who is committed to their professional growth.
Entry-level human resources professionals can play important roles within a company, too. As human resources assistants or coordinators, they can start learning the ropes of an organization and do clerical duties to help support their department. To get one of these jobs, create a resume like this one to highlight your human resources-related education and internship history.
This resume starts out with the candidate’s education, and you can clearly see that he or she studied human resources management. If you have this type of degree, make sure to mention it prominently. Any internship experiences in human resources -- as well as achievements such as training and leading team building workshops -- can also help strengthen your job application.
In addition to formal education and internships, this resume sample lists school and volunteer projects that relate to human resources. You can use community service and other projects you’ve done to demonstrate other relevant skills such as organization, coordination of activities, and leadership.
A human resources business partner functions as a consultant to a company’s senior management. These professionals provide insights and develop human resources strategies to benefit employees as well as the company itself. If you’re pursuing one of these roles, choose a resume like this one to show that you have previous experience in the field, strong analytical skills, and strategic decision-making abilities.
In this resume template, the bullet points begin with strong action verbs that highlight the candidate’s consultative and managerial skills. Using verbs such as “conducted”, “led”, “established” and “educated” helps show your proactivity and frame your achievements in a favorable light.
Most of the accomplishments mentioned in this resume’s bullet points also include specific metrics (e.g. “saved the company nearly $200,000” or “cut training hours by 5 hours per session”). It’s essential to use specific examples like these to show how your actions and decisions achieved tangible results.
Where other human resources professionals oversee staff for the duration of their employment, recruiters focus exclusively on filling open jobs within the company. They may write job postings, review resumes, conduct interviews, and hire the most qualified candidates. When you’re applying for a recruiter position, your resume should demonstrate that you are comfortable and experienced with all aspects of the hiring process, as shown in this resume sample.
This resume example highlights specific work experiences that are relevant to the job at hand. It’s great to point out any previous recruiting or hiring experience you have to show that you can handle duties like enhancing candidate screening, leading recruitment projects, and spearheading diversity initiatives.
Being well-versed in software like ATS or LinkedIn Recruiter can make you even more marketable as a candidate since you may need to use these programs on the job. Make sure to use your skills section to list your hard skills in recruiting software.
If you work in human resources for long enough, you might eventually reach the top of the ladder as a senior manager or director. When you become a human resources director, you’ll be in charge of the entire department, overseeing managers, specialists, assistants, and others. If you want the job, your resume needs to show plenty of experience in human resources as well as management and leadership roles.
Vague assertions about what you achieved at past jobs don’t tell a hiring manager very much. Wherever possible, provide specific numbers and figures to quantify your impact, especially if you managed large numbers of employees or implemented staffing initiatives that led to significant growth and change.
Beginning your achievements with verbs like “partnered”, “coached”, or “managed” leaves a strong impression on recruiters, and it also accentuates your skills as a manager and leader of people. These are essential for Senior and Director roles.
A human resources administrator role can be a stepping stone to a management or director position. Administrators help with tasks like maintaining personnel files, assisting with hiring, preparing documents, and updating databases. To become an administrator, choose a resume similar to this one to showcase your administrative abilities and analytical skills. You should also be able to show that you work well with people and that you have been a leader to others.
Although human resources administrator roles typically aren’t as senior as management jobs, it’s still beneficial to mention past positions where you were promoted or given more responsibilities. Promotions highlight your proactivity and show that you are capable of being a leader.
This resume lists technical skills that are specific to human resources as well as clerical work. It’s helpful to also list any certifications or other credentials you have in human resources so you can be even more competitive for the job.
On top Human Resources Specialist resumes, skills like Human Resources (HR), Recruiting, Employee Relations, Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS), Onboarding, Performance Management, HR Policies and Employee Engagement appear most often.
Depending on the exact role you're applying to, skills like Benefits Administration, Microsoft Access, HR Management, Payroll and Teaching can also be effective keywords to include on your resume.
While the keywords above are a good indication of what skills you need on your resume, you should try to find additional keywords that are specific to the job. To do this, use the free Targeted Resume tool. It analyzes the job you are applying to and finds the most important keywords you need on your resume.
It is personalized to your resume, and is the best way to ensure your resume will pass the automated resume filters.
Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.
